Recommended Levels and ZEM List

Contents

Recommended Level Range by Zone

The different areas of Norrath are inhabited by creatures of greatly varying level. It is usually wise to adventure in zones that are level appropriate for your character. Of course, a full group can tackle a particular dungeon or area at a lower level than a solo character. Still, one can get a general idea of the levels ranges recommended for experiencing in any given zone. (ref)

Zone Experience Multiplier (ZEM)

If all things were equal, you would receive an equal amount of XP for killing equivalent mobs in different zones. This is not the case. Some zones give a higher amount of experience than others. Some zones actually give a significantly lower amount of experience. ZEMs were put in place to encourage places to adventure in less frequented zones, as well as reward those adventuring in significantly more difficult areas. For example, dungeons typically have higher multipliers than outdoor zones.ref

In the old days of live EQ the server sent the actual ZEM values, which were recorded by studious players. These values were used as a basis for the EQEmu numbers, and so are in place on most stock EQEmu servers. These numbers were never known to have changed over the history of classic EQ live.

The developers of p1999 have stated that they will not publicly release the current ZEM list, in the spirit of classic EQ.

The "stock" values given here, which may be representative as a whole, have definitely been changed in some zones.

ZEM List

The p1999 column, currently empty, can be used to denote discrepancies from the stock values. If there is any systematic study done, or someone who can present some cohesive evidence of actual numbers, we can include them there. References: ref1ref2ref3ref4ref5. Note that on this scale a value of 75 represents normal. Below 75 indicates a experience penalty, and above 75 a bonus. The multiplier is multiplicative, that is, a value of 150 indicates an experience bonus of 100% over a normal zone.